Past Sunset
by Star Shadow1
Summary: Long after ancient Tortall two adventurers of centuries past visit what has evolved...


  
Author's Note: This is somewhat depressing so if you are sensitive in any   
way please do not continue. Thank you and have a nice day.   
  
  
Acknowledgments: Thanks to Lady of the Wolves for factual information.  
  
  
Disclaimer: I do not possess any characters from any of Tamora Pierce's   
works.  
  
  
  
  
Past Sunset  
  
  
  
The night air whispered silently as it was ever so slightly disturbed by   
silvery blue wings. Far below the super-city remained active even as the witching   
hour swiftly approached. However none noticed the vast being drifting so far above   
them. Therefore the mythical beast of centuries past continued onward upon its   
voyage.   
Upon the back of the beast a young woman rode. Her smoky-blue eyes took   
in the entire scene below, mixed emotions shimmering there. Though she had been   
horrified by all she had witnessed as of now the woman did not halt her steed and   
the two continued onward. The smoky-blue eyes searched for any green amongst   
the gray and black but they were never successful. She had reached out and   
discovered only some miserable domestic and stray animals and countless pigeons.  
This could not be it. There had to be some mistake! But in all the centuries   
of their existence had the gods ever once been mistaken? The young woman   
sighed and gazed about the land. Four-sided structures with narrow tips stretched   
upwards to seemingly scrape the sky itself.  
Other buildings were slightly smaller and more box-like in appearance. One   
part of the city was dominated by huge gray platforms where giant mechanical  
monsters constantly landed and took flight once again by daylight. Now they were   
vast and empty. The young woman shivered slightly and directed her attention   
elsewhere. Pollutants choked the very air and one was unable to view the   
celestial bodies from very far away. The identical fumes also hid the young woman   
and her wondrous steed from view because they were both solid now. Not that   
anyone ever bothered to glance upward.  
  
Earlier the young woman had actually landed and wandered around the  
vast city for a while. The vehicles possessed no horses and coughed up harsh   
smoke. Even more astounding was the fact that these vehicles had no wheels.   
They darted along a few feet above the hard ground at extreme speeds.   
The noise was defening and the young woman witnessed no friendly faces.   
Everyone appeared to be in a hurry. She did notice several homeless souls   
snoozing lightly against the sides of the huge structures in alleys. Some of the   
buildings were connected higher up with transparent tubes where both people and   
products traveled along. There were countless pigeons perched seemingly   
everywhere.  
The young woman did stop to stroke the ears of one starving dog which   
trotted up to her and stuck its nose through the high fence caging it. The young   
woman had questioned it about the city, was it always as this?  
The dog responded that it was at times worse. The young woman shuddered   
at the mental image and pondered how anyone could live here. The pigeons were   
too busy scavenging the city for edible materials to listen or answer any questions.  
  
Now, soaring high over the vast city, the young woman puzzled how this had   
happened. She sighed in sorrow of wonders lost and miseries gained. She   
considered that the super-city may not be all bad for some people, but she couldn't   
stand it. Her magnificent steed appeared to agree. More than once she had   
inquired of the young woman if she was ready to depart this place. More than once   
the young woman had begged to stay just a while longer. Though the city was   
terrible she desired to locate some symbol of hope.  
The winged wonder appeared to understand and continued onward. The two   
skimmed the skies until just before dawn. Not that it was much of a dawn with the   
thick clouds of pollution blocking out the newborn light. Huge mechanical monsters   
began arriving upon the landing docks and the already active city increased its   
already swift pace.  
Again the young woman took to the crowds on foot for any signs of hope   
there may be. As the day went on she began to loose hope. Upon dusk the young   
woman and her steed once again acceded to the clouds. As they began to leave the   
city the young woman reached up to brush a strand of smoky curls out of her face.   
When she did she noticed a slight movement upon the roof of a nearby structure.  
Soaring closer the young woman discovered a young child with a sort of   
bucket filled with water which would emerge from a spout tipping the narrow neck   
of the bucket. The young girl poured the water upon something in a pot. The young   
woman peered closer and discovered a single white flower. Not far there was a   
bush of ruby roses.   
A snowy cat with violet eyes leapt onto the platform holding the plant and   
brushed against the child, the first remotely happy animal the young woman had   
noticed since she had arrived upon the city. She smiled slightly, there was hope.  
The young woman told her steed that they could leave now, she had   
discovered what she had been searching for. Gratefully the beast had turned and   
winged towards the now setting sun.  
On the way they passed a huge lighted sign.  
"New Tortall! Leading The Way For The Future!" it proclaimed.  
Maybe, thought the young woman, but what about the past? She never once   
regretted her wish to visit what Tortall had become. It may actually be a good   
thing for the ghosts of centuries past to view what they had fought for and died   
protecting. She had been saddened until she discovered the one girl with her   
thriving flowers and feline. With the wisdom possessed by the girl all would   
never be lost. Perhaps there was hope yet.  
  
  



End file.
